Intermediate-level radioactive waste (ILW) includes cellulosic materials, which under the hyperalkaline conditions expected in a cementitious geological disposal facility (GDF), will undergo abiotic hydrolysis forming a variety of soluble organic species. Isosaccharinic acid (ISA) is a notable hydrolysis product, being a strong metal complexant that may enhance the transport of radionuclides to the biosphere. This study shows that irradiation with 1 MGy of γ-radiation under hyperalkaline conditions enhances the rate of ISA production from alkali hydrolysis of cellulose, indicating that radionuclide mobilisation to the biosphere may occur faster than previously anticipated. However, irradiation also made the cellulose fibres more available for microbial degradation and fermentation of the degradation products, producing acidity that inhibited ISA production via alkali hydrolysis. The production of hydrogen gas as a fermentation product was noted, and this was associated with a substantial increase in the relative abundance of hydrogen-oxidising bacteria. Taken together these results expand our conceptual understanding of the mechanisms involved in ISA production, accumulation and biodegradation in a biogeochemically active cementitious GDF.Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) are found in many biological kingdoms where they protect organisms from freezing damage as antifreeze agents or inhibitors of ice recrystallization. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/icec0942-hydrochloride.html Here, the crystal structure of recombinant IBP from carrot (Daucus carota) has been solved to a resolution of 2.3 Å. As predicted, the protein is a structural homologue of a plant polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein forming a curved solenoid structure with a leucine-rich repeat motif. Unexpectedly, close examination of its surface did not reveal any large regions of flat, regularly spaced hydrophobic residues that characterize the ice-binding sites (IBSs) of potent antifreeze proteins from freeze-resistant fish and insects. An IBS was defined by site-directed mutagenesis of residues on the convex surface of the carrot solenoid. This imperfect site is reminiscent of the irregular IBS of grass 'antifreeze' protein. Like the grass protein, the carrot IBP has weak freezing point depression activity but is extremely active at nanomolar concentrations in inhibiting ice recrystallization. Ice crystals formed in the presence of both plant proteins grow slowly and evenly in all directions. We suggest that this slow, controlled ice growth is desirable for freeze tolerance. The fact that two plant IBPs have evolved very different protein structures to affect ice in a similar manner suggests this pattern of weak freezing point depression and strong ice recrystallization inhibition helps their host to tolerate freezing rather than to resist it.Background Accurate non-invasive biomarkers of fibrotic progression are important for HCV management, but commonly used modalities may have decreased efficacy in HIV/HCV-coinfected persons. The enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF)-index is a highly sensitive non-invasive marker of hepatic fibrosis that has had limited assessment in the HIV/HCV population. We compared ELF-index performance to FIB4 and APRI at different stages of liver fibrosis as determined by liver histology, and validated the efficacy of the three non-invasive biomarkers in HIV/HCV-coinfected versus HCV-monoinfected. Methods The ELF-index was determined in 147 HIV/HCV-coinfected and 98 HCV-monoinfected persons using commercial ELISA assays for the component elements of the index. Area under the receiver-operator curve was used to validate ELF and to compare its performance to liver histology as well as to other non-invasive biomarkers of liver fibrosis, FIB4 and APRI. Results The ELF-index increased with histological stage of liver fibrosis and exhibited a linear relationship with Metavir score in all subjects. ELF performance was comparable between HIV/HCV and HCV with advanced liver fibrosis/ cirrhosis. In the HIV/HCV cohort ELF cut-offs of 8.45 and 9.23 predicted mild and moderate fibrosis with 85% sensitivity, while the ELF cut-off of 9.8 had the highest specificity for advanced fibrosis and the cut-off of 10.4 was 99% specific for cirrhosis. ELF performance was superior to FIB4 and APRI in all subjects regardless of HIV status. Conclusions ELF-index demonstrated excellent characteristics towards accurate prediction of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis with superior performance to APRI and FIB4 in HIV/HCV infection. Applying this non-invasive biomarker index for diagnosis of liver fibrosis and progression in HIV/HCV is warranted.Objectives To share our experience with digital slide telepathology for intraoperative frozen section consultations (IOCs) and to describe its evolution over time by reporting performance metrics and addressing organizational and economic aspects. Methods Since 2013, a technician has been alone at the surgical site. At the other site, the pathologist opens the digital slide from a local server via the intranet. Three periods were compared a 6-month period of conventional IOC (period 1), a 24-month period of telepathology at 6 months after implementation (period 2), and a 12-month period of telepathology at 3.5 years after implementation (period 3). Results In total, 87 conventional IOCs and 464 and 313 IOCs on digital slides were performed respectively during periods 1, 2, and 3; mean turnaround time was 27, 36, and 38 minutes, respectively, and there were a mean number of 1.1, 1.1, and 1.3 slides, respectively, per IOC. Diagnostic accuracy was achieved in 95.4%, 92.7%, and 93.9%, respectively, of IOCs (not significant). The additional cost is in the same range as the cost of urgent transport by courier. Conclusions Developing IOC with digital slides is a challenge but is necessary to optimize medical time in the current context of pathologist shortage and budget restrictions.Iron (Fe) limitation is known to affect heterotrophic bacteria within the respiratory electron transport chain, therefore strongly impacting the overall intracellular energy production. We investigated whether the gene expression pattern of the light-sensitive proton pump, proteorhodopsin (PR), is influenced by varying light, carbon and Fe concentrations in the marine bacterium Photobacterium angustum S14 and whether PR can alleviate the physiological processes associated with Fe starvation. Our results show that the gene expression of PR increases as cells enter the stationary phase, irrespective of Fe-replete or Fe-limiting conditions. This upregulation is coupled to a reduction in cell size, indicating that PR gene regulation is associated with a specific starvation-stress response. We provide experimental evidence that PR gene expression does not result in an increased growth rate, cell abundance, enhanced survival or ATP concentration within the cell in either Fe-replete or Fe-limiting conditions. However, independent of PR gene expression, the presence of light did influence bacterial growth rates and maximum cell abundances under varying Fe regimes.